Great video, Petrik, and solid recommendations! I’d add for ASOIAF fans’ consideration R. Scott Bakker’s Second Apocalypse Series, with the Prince of Nothing Trilogy and the Aspect Emperor Tetralogy.
Thank you, Philip!! Oh that's a good one. I haven't read the series yet, but it seems like it will fit the bill. I will start Prince of Nothing this year for sure!
Prince of Nothing has so many of the best things in fantasy, while also possessing some things I sincerely hate. Still, it's a top 5 all time series for me.
Here by RU-vid's algorithm and glad it did. Janny Wurts behind you sold me on this video, she's so underrated. Love the Empire trilogy. Dagger and Coin sounds right up my alley. Had the Dandelion Dynasty and John Gwynne on the list as well.
Joe Abercrombie and John Gwynne. Two of the very best in this 69 year olds opinion. Been reading for awhile and these guys first series are my favorites in fantasy. Great video Sir.
I was into Abercrombie a bit, but there were things he did that were really off putting to me. And then I read Gwynne and that was pretty much perfect modern fantasy. Everything I like and none of the crap I hate.
Thanks for the recs, Petrik! Recently, Derri's Read it Before and Jimmy Nutts did a video about the similarities between ASOIAF and RotE, which was suuuuper interesting. Never thought about it, but those two series have so much overlap, highly recommend that livestream, such great fun! Your picks were spot-on as well though!
If you want to read a series that starts off very similar to the style where you live in a post apocalypse world, due to nuclear war where anyone can die (in the first few books), but eventually settles into a long 100 book series of almost always being exactly 249 pages each book & the core characters never die because I think they decided "Hey .. we can make money with releasing these once a month" & it should be a TV show - Deathlands is an old classic. Older readers will probably remember them, but so many new kids are on RU-vid probably never heard of it. They tried to make a movie out of it but butchered it. I heard they are doing a TV show again but it's very Indy made & I don't know if it's going to get the exposure & love it needs. Good luck finding all the books. I hear they are going for big money.
Definitely worth it. I enjoyed the audiobook version very much about 2 years ago, I think, which meant I was able to use my time efficiently while doing everyday chores :)
Lyonesse by Jack Vance is another one very similar with better writing but with more fantasy in it. It's a remarkably underatted piece of work! Memory sorrow and thorn by Tad Williams is up there but has the heroic element like LOTR which is not a bad thing if you ask me. Nice blend. The Prince of nothing is not for the faint of heart, it is very dark. Fair warning reader.
Started reading A Song of Ice and Fire in the early 2000's when it wasn't really a well known series LOVE the books but wish Martin didn't take forever writing them. Anyway, I HIGHLY recommend reading The Pillars of the Earth series by Ken Follett. Anyone who loves the GoT series will enjoy these books
Excellent suggestions here, Petrik! I've read them all except The Khan Series and The Dandelion Dynasty. I learn something from all of your videos! "BookTubing the way BookTube should be BookTubed."
This is such a great list! I’m so happy to see Dagger and the Coin as the first recommendation, I love that series, The Tyrant’s Law is one of my favorite books (closely followed by Spider’s War) and Geder is one of my favorite characters in fantasy. I’ve read everything except The Khan series and Empire trilogy (I’ve tried Magician but put it on standby as I didn’t really connect with it), so I'll put them on the TBR for next years. I would also recommend Green bone saga and Liveship Traders, as the politics and characters are one the same level as ASOIAF.
Thank you so much! Spider's War is my favorite book in Dagger and the Coin. Incredible conclusion, imo. And yeah! Please give Empire trilogy a try. It's much better than Magician. And Green Bone Saga + Liveship Traders (or Hobb generally) are good recommendation, too. Should've mentioned them as well. 😅
And there is the Elderlings. Even more beautiful writing, better characters, they are miserable… the only thing is that she is not killing them as Martin does, that keeping her from the line of grim dark. Even the dragons are there and started at the same time. We are looking at you Martin, this is how you finish something! 👀
Great list! I definitely need to add The Kimoni Legacy to the list! The author, Omari Richards, is still little known but his book blew me away!!! I couldn't put it down. Political intrigue and West African lore at its best!
The Faithful and the Fallen is more high fantasy than dark like Martin books but know i think about battles and I see why your out that! Just an awesome Saga;) thank you;)😊
Oh absolutely! As I said, their tone and narrative are very different. But I think depending on what you're looking for from ASOIAF, some parts of TFATF should scratch the itch!
Awesome list Petrik! It certainly is hard to live up to the ASOIAF standard, isn't it? I definitely want to get into Daniel Abraham, Conquerer, and Riftwar. Can the Riftwar Empire trilogy be read without the rest of the Saga?
Thank you, Zammar! Yeah, it's difficult for sure! And yeah, Riftwar Empire can be read without reading the rest of the saga, imo. Though you will benefit from reading the first book in the series: Magician. :)
As someone who read Riftwar Empire Trilogy without reading the other series over 10 years ago and still loves Empire to this day, I can confirm you 100% don't have to read any other part to enjoy Empire!
Thank you for this! Will definitely check out the ones I'm not familiar with. My main gripe about Asoiaf-ish book recommendations is that most of the writers use modern language that takes you out of the narrative. Martin's use of language is the missing link for me even if the other series may out do him in plotting, characters, world building etc..
Oh yeah, that is a good one to think about. I heard Sword of Shadows by J.V. Jones should be similar to George Martin in language as well, but I haven't read that one yet. :)
@@PetrikLeo I think a lot of fantasy fans aren't too particular about language and symbolism but it's just something that takes a story to the next level for me😂 I will definitely check out JV❤
I certainly will read Kithamar trilogy, too. I'm just waiting for the announcement of the third book now. I haven't read Anna Smith Spark's books, but I'm a fan of Abercrombie and Abraham! :)
Love ASoIaF, and enjoy reading the 'side' novels. Am enjoying my first reads of Abercrombie and Erikson. If you haven't read any of Martin's very early works, his short story collections like 'Songs of The Dying Earth', I highly recommend. Very good!
Good to hear you're enjoying Abercrombie and Erikson's books. I haven't read any of Martin's books outside of A Song of Ice and Fire! I certainly have to fix this. :)
Great recommendation 😁- I will deffo check out Daniel Abrahams's book - AND I totally agree with you. The Empire Trilogy was so much better than its companion series. I loved every moment of reading it, and it had on of my favourite female main characters
"Memory, Sorrow & Thorn" Trilogy by Tad Williams is a very good recommendation as well. It is the trilogy that actually inspired GRRM to write the ASoIaF. The follow-up sequel series "The Last King of Osten-Ard" by Tad Williams is also amazing with the last book in the series to be released December 2024.
The villain in The Dagger and The Coin is indeed interesting, very unique. First time he does his "evil" thing in the first book I was like "em, excuse me what?". It was not clear that this will be his arc. It was amazing, though I felt more mid on the series towards its ending.
I read the First Law and the first book in Age of Madness, and so far, I found AoM to be much better. First Law is good, but I think A Little Hatred improved on all the flaws.
The standalone and Age of Madness has a different story structure to the first trilogy, imo. If you don't have any issue with the writing, I think they're worth giving a try. In technicality, Age of Madness has some of Abercrombie's best writing to date!
i'd add "Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne" trilogy by brian staveley. more like abercrombie than grr martin, fast paced, with momentum. "A Land fit for Heroes" trilogy by richard Morgan, also similar style, with just a hint of sci-fi, and some surprisingly graphic passages on all kinds of sexual activities... stuff grr martin would like to but wouldn't dare to write :D
Its weird as a massive grrm fan i started the first law with maybe a bit too much expectations. I'm half way through number two so maybe (still ?) too early to tell but a bit underwhelmed so far. It feels "smaller" if that makes sense. I'll finish the trilogy though, hopefully I'm wrong!
Awesome recommendations, Petrik! I agree with them 100% and look forward to reading Dagger and Coin and Faithful and the Fallen eventually. First Law is my favorite of all time! PS - How's the new Elden Ring dlc treating you!?
I personally think his books on first read are very engaging and tension. There are many character's death throughout the series. I mean, compare to Wheel of Time, I'm on book 10 and most of the characters are still alive. In Malice, one of the MC was killed off already. 🙂 And then there's more... but spoilers. 😂
I do agree with most of these picks, except John Gwynne's The Faithfull and the Fallen. It is a good series, but it is quite different from ASoIaF. So is First Law, but it pretty much feels like reading As for additional recommendations, I'll go with one GRRM himself has pointed to quite a bit: The Once and Future King by T.H. White. Other suggestions: - The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell - The Prince of Nothing & The Second Apocalypse by R. Scott Bakker - Anything written by Giles Kristian (particularly his Arthurian Tales) - A Song for Arbonne, The Lions of al-Rassan, and Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay - and if one enjoyes the eldritch gods aspect the Ironborne bring to the table, Gunmetal Gods by Zamil Akthar is awesome
I have read Arthurian Tales by Giles Kristian. I couldn't find similarities between the two, though. I am so looking forward to reading Second Apocalypse series by Bakker this year! :)
I swear I've tried giving the dandelion series a chance like 4 times and the 2nd book just bores me to a "did not finish". I keep finding myself having to go back and relisten to entire chapters, maybe it's just a matter of audiobook vs reading because reading does require more focus.... which doesn't allow me to cook dinner, do laundry, clean, play games etc... which is why I've almost entirely quit reading lol. Oh well I'll probably give it another try eventually.
